more work, why not!

so, today at the farm, it was storming and our friends were tense. but they got through it. the present owner of the new farm is gracious, and brought them in before it got bad out (barnaby in particular is afraid of thunder and lightening, and stood facing the wall of his stall and didn't budge an inch the entire time we were there, poor guy. until my girl went and hung on his neck and then i let her groom him while i waited in the car, i was wiped out).

we had intended only to fill one bucket per stall and leave, but i can't leave my friends standing in their unkempt stalls, so, one stall after another, one bucket after another, one wheel barrow after another, we mucked, watered and generally tended to them all. it was no great hardship for me, i enjoyed it. the new stalls are large enough, even for the big thoroughbred not to feel threatened by me in there with a pick. that's a bonus.

so i volunteered for an entire week of driving to the barn and mucking stalls. crazy sounding, i know. but nicole wants to leave town for a week and who else is going to do it? i am glad to do it, i love those horses.

we'll go on sunday and i'll learn how to handle the big girl. she's spirited, shall we say? i touched her flank today and she startled, but i just held my peace and stood beside her, and she calmed down, eventually following me, being sweet, but i know she was just trying to escape. i didn't let her get a good angle on the door.

and while she's big and jumpy, perhaps you could even say she's a handful, i think she's just young and needs patience. i understand that. believe me.

so i'll be very careful with her, and it's good that she trusts me, or at least tolerates me because i'll be in her face for a week and she'll have to deal with it. if i can do my part with her in her stall, so much the better. i would hate to have anything happen to her.

there is this gorgeous, i mean, jaw dropping friesian (sp?). my god that horse is to die for. he's all black, 15.3 nicole says. and stunning.

i don't know that i'd ever ride a horse that big (though my girl informs me that bandit--the big baby, is 16.2, and i've ridden him). t, the big girl, is 17.1. she's gorgeous, every bit of her.

but that friesian, whoa. and his owner, a natural horsemanship instructor. turns out she was a the same horse expo we were at in february. we spoke a bit today, and when nicole's mom heard we were at that expo, she said,

that's crap.

and i laughed. we enjoyed it, but it's not for her, plain as that. my girl and i will likely go again, hopefully leaving the big guy at home, he was a downer. we enjoyed the workshops and demonstrations, i think he was bored.

whatever.

anyway, more work, but it's the good kind, and the only --ONLY-- reason i'd be late to dodge. i'll miss some of the beginning sessions, but whatever. these horses matter to me, and i'm glad to do it.

peace. out.